Top 10 British Seaside Breaks

Looking for a bit of sun, sea and sand this summer, but don’t have the cash to hop on a plane to the Mediterranean? No problem. Holidays at home have been declining in recent years, due to the rise of low cost airlines that fly to popular tourist destinations around Europe. However, just because the weather in Britain might not be as reliable as the weather in Spain or Greece, it doesn’t mean Britain is any less beautiful.

1. Isles of Scilly. These little islands off the Cornish coast sit at the entrance to the English Channel. You’ll have to get a boat there from Cornwall, but they’re definitely worth visiting! The way the green fields contrasts with the light blue waters reminds you of the Caribbean, with a distinctly British feel.

2. Brighton. Brighton is famous for its beach, leisure activities, nightlife and history. It’s only an hour away from London on the train, so it’s very convenient and cheap! Although the beach is a pebble one and not a sandy one, it might be better as it means you don’t find grains of sand in your underpants 3 days later. Plus, there’s lots more things to do there besides the beach, so there’s no chance of you getting bored.

3. Bournemouth is further along the South Coast, but still within a day’s drive of London. However, it’s worth staying the night – Bournemouth has a good theatre, lots of shops and restaurants, as well as art galleries and museums. Its Victorian history means that the town has lots of pretty buildings, plus the white sandy beach at Poole Bay is one of the best in the country.

4. Blackpool. Although the weather’s probably not so great up there, the sandy beach is still quite nice on a summer’s day. It also has the Pleasure Beach right next door, which is essentially a really cool theme park. Blackpool’s answer to the Eiffel Tower also stands tall, looming over the beach and the main road. The Illuminations are famous across the country, so make sure to wait until it gets dark to see them in their full glory!

5. Torquay is a town in Devon, and it has lots of cool watersports activities. It also has a cavern, which is a really important Stone Age landmark.

6. Cornwall (anywhere). Go anywhere in Cornwall and you’ll have a fantastic seaside break. St. Ives is particularly famous, as well as St. Austell and Land’s End. You could visit St. Michael’s Mount, which is Britain’s version of Mont St. Michel in Brittany.

7. Jurassic Coast. If you love fossils and geology, then why not go fossil hunting on the fascinating Jurassic Coast? It’s a World Heritage Site, and there are lots of information centres and campsites along the coast. It’s also very rural, so you can get lots of fresh air.

8. Pembrokeshire is a pretty region in South Wales, and seaside towns like Tenby attract lots of tourists every year. It’s within good driving distance of forests and mountains, too, so it’s very picturesque.

9. Plymouth is a decent-sized town, and you can see lots of historical landmarks along the coast – for instance, where the ship the Mayflower sailed from, which carried some of the first immigrants to America across the ocean.

10. Channel Islands. They’re a part of the UK, but as well as having lots and lots of sandy beaches, they are culturally quite French. So if you fancy a taste of the Continent without actually having to go there, then the Channel Islands would be perfect for you.